Several Christchurch bike thieves have been caught on camera brazenly cutting through bicycle locks and riding off in broad daylight.
Sergeant Andrew Judson said the community beat team arrested and charged three men aged 35, 36, and 52 after a "prolific" spate of alleged bike thefts was reported in the central city.
Video footage released by police shows a man walking up to a bike in broad daylight with a pair of bolt cutters. The man then cuts the lock off in front of two onlooking witnesses and rides off on the bike.
Another man can be seen stealing a bike from a stand in front of two riders. One of the riders appeared to confront the thief before he fled the scene on the stolen bike.
Judson said the footage does not show the three men arrested in the latest crackdown but does "highlight the importance of using the best lock possible".
Judson said police set their sights on the "three prolific offenders" last week. They had been arrested by the end of the week.
The men face "a variety of charges" including theft and wilful damage. One has already pleaded guilty and been remanded in custody until his sentencing.
"One offender stole seven bikes in four days from busy, public places in central Christchurch," Judson said in a statement.
"Another was beaten by his own game and had his stolen bike stolen."
On average four bikes a day are reported stolen in Christchurch, costing about $2m a year.
"We are apprehending bike thieves regularly, but removing the opportunity would go a long way to removing the problem," Judson said.
"Bike thieves take the easy option.
"If a bike has a decent lock on it, like a D lock, they’ll leave it alone.
"It’s that simple. If you like your bike, lock it up properly, don’t give these criminals the opportunity."
- To help recover your bike if it is stolen, register it at 529 Garage. If you find a potentially stolen bike, go to 529 Garage to see if it has been registered.
